On the 24th anniversary of the single deadliest terror attack, high school students across Massachusetts who weren’t alive for 9/11 heard from advocates, families of victims, and former lawmakers at the State House in Boston.
Dozens of students from private and public schools packed into a room inside the State House for a roundtable with victims’ families.
Advocates Pat Bavis and former Boston Bruin Bob Sweeney both lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001.
Sweeney told the crowd, “It’s a tough thing to get over.”
Bavis added, “We live in a country we’ve got to stand for.”
Former mayor of Boston and US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh also spoke to the crowd Thursday morning.
“We have to work on the stereotypes,” he said. “We have to work on the hate. We have to work on the division.”
The three took questions from students about their experiences, what they remember from the tragedy, and its legacy today.
Walsh told Boston 25, “Every young person who was here today was not born. It is important to teach about 9/11.”
The students also attended a 9/11 commemoration in the state house chamber and attended a wreath laying in the afternoon.
Walsh continued, “History is important. Education’s important. I think it’s time for us to teach about what happened.”
Students, more removed from the tragedy than ever before, spoke to Boston 25 about what they learned.
“It really just reminds you that these people aren’t statistics. Everyone had something to go home to, and it’s such a big loss,” said one student.
Another added, “It’s really essential to pass down this history because we wouldn’t want history to repeat itself.”
Commemorations of the 24th anniversary were held across New England on Thursday.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW